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As a huge football fan and a recruiter of Chartered Secretaries and Corporate Governance professionals, I was excited and somewhat surprised to see my two worlds collide at the end of March when the FA’s General Secretary, Alex Horne, told MPs investigating decision-making processes at the FA that the decision to alter Fabio Capello’s contract on the eve of the World Cup was a corporate governance mistake.

The Football Association admitted the decision should have been taken by the whole Board, not just “four or five” executives.

David Bernstein now Chairman of the FA added: “It won’t happen again. It’s just proper organisation. Any contract of any size, any changes should go through the Remunerations Committee and then through the Board. I will ensure proper governance. We need to fully comply with our own procedures even when we’re under pressure.”

So it seems there is no escape from governance, even for one of the world’s most powerful institutions. Stories like this bring the biggest business issues to the masses in a topical and relevant way which can only be a good thing! Let’s hope that a greater understanding leads to greater support and recognition for those professionals whose job it is to ensure good governance on a day-to-day basis.

Can you think of any other institutions that have been challenged in this way?

Do you think it’s harder to achieve engagement in this environment?

Do you think there are any circumstances in which any such entities should be treated differently, and if so, why?

BLT had the pleasure of attending the 2011 MCA awards last night at the Lancaster Hotel in London. We were delighted to be one of the main sponsors of the event and sponsored the Change Management in the Public Sector Award which was won by Ernst & Young for their project with NHS Direct.

The event, in association with The Times, was hosted by comedian Dominic Holland. The self proclaimed ‘funny man’, lived up to his reputation, and kept the gags and the laughter flowing over the course of the evening.

Congratulations to all those nominated, and of course to all those that picked up the prestigious awards, including a guest of BLT’s; Julian Sawyer, whose company Bluerock Consulting picked up the innovation award for their work with Barclaycard.

It was refreshing to see some of the smaller firms picking up awards despite the near consistent performance of the larger companies. Boxwood picked up the overall ‘Platinum’ Award for their project with Carphone Warehouse.

For a breakdown the winners in all the project categories, be sure to visit the MCA website

Oh and keep your eyes peeled for a special supplement in the Times on Monday 11th for full coverage of the proceedings.

Having given the article a thorough dissection it is clear that interview tips come in all shapes and sizes; presentation, immediate impression, rapport, preparation but my favourite by far is ‘expect the unexpected’, as usually this refers to the possibility of a left field question such as, ‘What kind of an animal are you?’

Candidates often say that this type of questions would immediately throw them, but by taking a deep breath and pausing for a moment to collect your thoughts, this type of question is readily answerable and it’s easy to identify the professional context to the enquiry, (in this case it could refer to habits, personality traits and personal preferences.) However, there are some that are not quite so logical. How would you react if you were asked to dance ‘Blame it on the Boogie’ as some poor interviewees at B&Q were? In what respect might this be a valid assessment of your suitability? Alternatively, what would you do if you noticed the interviewer falling asleep as you answered a question? Would you be offended/pretend not to notice/apologise for being boring?

These occurrences happen all too often as interviewers try to become more and more creative in their approach, which leads me to wonder how you can prepare for the variety of tasks that may or may not be sent your way. Whilst giving candidates advice there is only so much you can predict from an interview and tackling the unknown is never easy. The only advice would be to think laterally and expect the unexpected!

In light of the recent events in Japan and Libya, there hasn’t been that much in the media on this years comic relief efforts. Here at BLT, we feel strongly about the Comic Relief campaign. The word “poverty” is not something many of us can relate to.

“One in two of people in Sub Saharan Africa survive on less than one dollar per day.”

Facts and figures do little to help us build a picture of what 315 million people in Africa have to endure on a daily basis. Those of you who have been watching “Rich, Famous and in the slums” will have a better idea of what being born into poverty entails. Those of you that haven’t, I recommend you take a look, it’s a real eye opener http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dM-XPZ4kgk

The Red Nose Day campaign has become a BLT tradition, and we’re incredibly proud that we have been able to raise £300 for such a great cause.

Every 2 years we take a break from the meetings, the emails and the phone lines and meet downstairs with the aim of “doing something funny for our money.” Yesterday was no exception; proceedings began with lunch in our conference rooms, followed by a ‘guess the baby competition’. As a bloke, I didn’t fancy my chances, as if it wasn’t difficult enough; Becky saw fit to through in some wildcard photos! The afternoon provided a steady stream of laughter, most of which came when the identities of the babies were revealed! See if you recognise any of the faces!